Palmerton residents won’t see an increase in their municipal tax rates next year.

On a 6-0 vote, borough council on Thursday adopted the 2023 budget with no tax increase.

That will leave the millage rate at 13.77 mills.

Borough Manager Donna McGarry previously said some of the larger items in next year’s spending plan include improvements to the borough garage, borough hall office, and police station; improvements to the three entrances to the Municipal Services Building; a new phone system for the borough office and police station; and cellphones for its nine police officers.

Also listed in the budget are equipment for fire police, with McGarry saying that the fire department support team applied for federal funding to pay for replacement of SCBA air packs, as the equipment is near the end of its useful life. If not approved, she said the borough may need to seek financing to purchase the equipment, which has an estimated cost of about $220,000.

At last month’s meeting, borough police Chief Tim Kromer told council that the police department could use another full-time officer.

McGarry said it would cost the borough about $100,000.